During medical procedures, including surgeries of various kinds, the need may arise to spread, or distract, bones or other anatomical parts away from one another. This may be done to allow access to an inner portion or cavity of the body, or to create proper clearance for insertion of additional instrumentation, or to create a better vantage point to observe tissues, organs, or systems. Often, the parts that are being spread or distracted are joined together by tightly bound tissue such as ligaments. This can lead to additional damage being done to the surrounding organs or tissues due to the distraction process. Additionally, further damage may be done because the surgeon may be unable to ascertain the additional stress that will be placed on the distracted body parts due to an additional degree of stress placed on the distractor being used.
One example of a surgical procedure in which distraction may be needed but where it may be difficult for the surgeon to gauge the incremental stress being placed upon adjacent distracted bones due to the additional load being placed on the distractor is intervertebral surgery. When discs within the spinal column are repaired or replaced, or during fusion techniques, the vertebrae adjacent to the damaged disc may need to be distracted to allow clearance to insert an implant or fusion device. The end plates of the vertebrae can be susceptible to breakage if too great a force is applied. Therefore what is needed is a device and method to address the above identified issues and similar issues involving the distraction of delicate tissues.